


A Time to Heal

by archaeologist_d



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Arthur is dead, Canon Compliant, Canon Era, Canon Universe, Dragonlord Merlin (Merlin), M/M, Merlin is sad, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-28 11:15:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30138738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/archaeologist_d/pseuds/archaeologist_d
Summary: After Arthur’s death, Merlin had nothing to live for, except Aithusa.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 33
Collections: Merlin Bingo





	A Time to Heal

Afterwards, Merlin didn’t remember much. The sound of water lapping the shore, the breeze in the trees next to the lake, his sobs harsh in the cold air, he supposed that he heard them all, but it was if the world were holding its breath and Merlin encased in a globe of silence.

He didn’t know how long he stood there. He didn’t remember collapsing onto the muddy beach or how the stars wheeled over his head that night or the sun rising the next day and the next.

He was hungry in a distant kind of way, someone else’s body protesting the lack, but he could not bear to move or even begin to live again, not when Arthur wasn’t there to insult him into it.

So, the days passed. He drank the water and sucked on shore reeds, but it was vague movement, instinctive, his body knowing what his mind did not.

He wasn’t even disturbed when, one morning, there was a tug on his weathered jacket. Slowly, so slowly, he looked up to see Aithusa’s troubled face watching him.

He should have been worried. After all, Merlin had killed Morgana and Aithusa loved her. But it didn’t seem that Aithusa was about to blast him into nothingness, much as he might have deserved it.

Instead, nudging Merlin, Aithusa whimpered a little, and laid his head in Merlin’s lap.

His throat rough with disuse, Merlin whispered, “I failed him and I failed her and I failed you, too. There is nothing that I can give you that would make things better.”

In the air, Merlin could hear, “ _Emrys, my lady is at peace_.” Aithusa’s mouth hadn’t moved, but it was clear that the dragon was starting to learn mind-speech. At least in that, Merlin drew comfort.

Letting his hand stroke Aithusa’s cold skin, feeling the illness and twisted muscles of his neck—another failure on Merlin’s part, Merlin murmured, “You are free, Aithusa. I am nothing and no one anymore.”

His white head pulled away from Merlin’s hand. Sounding a bit stronger, Aithusa said, mind-to-mind, “ _Not nothing, my dragonlord.”_

Shame flooded Merlin’s heart. He should have been a better one, he should have taken care of Aithusa and watching him grow into a strong and beautiful dragon. And they were kin. He had failed so many times that he’d lost count years ago.

For a time, he just stared at Aithusa. Then when it was pretty clear that Merlin wasn’t going to move, Aithusa let out a little huff, a bit of smoke coming out of his nostrils, and he reached over, clamping his teeth around Merlin’s jacket and pulled him up. “ _Come, Emrys, come_.”

Merlin blinked up at him. “Where are we going?” He was almost curious, too, although not enough to act on it.

Holding onto Merlin’s jacket, Aithusa started to pull him down the pathway, away from Camelot, away from the lake, away from Arthur. Merlin would have struggled, but he was too tired, too numb to do more than stumble along.

“ _To the future. To healing us both.”_

At that, Merlin blinked, not quite being dragged but near enough. “My magic couldn’t heal Arthur. What good was it if I couldn’t heal my destiny? Or you?”

“ _Someday, he will return. But first, you heal me, and I heal you_ ,” Aithusa was sounding more sure of himself with every second.

“Is that possible? I’ve always been awful at healing.” Merlin looked back toward the lake, but the trees blocked the way, almost as if hiding it from view.

“ _We will heal each other. Kin to kin_.” Aithusa let go, then head butted Merlin again.

Merlin reached over and smoothed the skin on Aithusa’s neck. It still felt wrong under his palm, but Merlin’s experience as Gaius’s assistant was telling him that with proper treatment and magic, Aithusa might grow into an imposing dragon, healthy and strong. And while Merlin waited for Arthur’s return, it might give him purpose again, something he desperately needed.

Aithusa was right. They would heal each other and both be the better for it.

At last, Merlin began to hope again.

It would be the first glimmer of a new tomorrow.

**Author's Note:**

>  **Author's Notes:** I’m not sure Aithusa would forgive Merlin so easily but they needed each other.  
> For my alien abduction prompt for merlin bingo.  
>  **Disclaimer:** Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.


End file.
